Credentialed sportswriter covering… the Wizards, though wishing it was the Bullets…the Terps, Hoyas, Mason and GW even if their players rarely cover one another…the Redskins, NFL, fantasy football and mock drafts because I tackle such things… The Nats and Orioles, yeah, field those stories too.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Wizards: second-round planning (CSNwashington)

Based on their current roster, the Wizards first round options can be broken down into three simple categories: right (Bradley Beal), wrong (Andre Drummond) or indifferent (just about anyone else). Barring a trade down or the team simply being all kinds of smitten for D.C.’s own Thomas Robinson, perimeter help is coming via the No. 3 overall pick.

The talk about what the Wizards should do in the second round is far less heated, but much more open for debate.

Right now, the Wizards depth chart is frontcourt heavy, backcourt light and shooting deprived. Some have a backup point guard as a high priority. Of course nobody will object to going with the “best available” approach.

With all that in mind, here’s a best guess look at whom the Wizards might select at No. 32.

Tyshawn Taylor (35) - Of the players checked out by the Wizards on their own turf, the Kansas point guard arguably stands out as the best combination of upside and roster need. The 6-foot-4 guard’s playmaking skills and defensive abilities outweigh his at times maddening decisions. Whereas Shelvin Mack was tasked with learning to play as a lead guard during his rookie season, Taylor had the ball in his hands during the Jayhawks run to the national title game and throughout his four years at Kansas.

Scott Machado (53) - Only Kendall Marshall arguably stands out as a purer point guard than the 6-foot-2 Iona product. Machado topped Marshall and every other Division I player last season with 9.9 assists per game while knocking down 40 percent of his 3-point attempts. There is fear his fast-paced style, which thrived at Iona, will suffer in translation to the NBA's half court sets. His vision won't and the Wizards could use a point guard who is first and foremost a distributor.

Darius Miller (37) – Crowded up front or not, the Wizards could use a small forward type who knocked down 40.7 percent of his shots from beyond the arc during his final two seasons at Kentucky. Another of those rare college seniors, Miller showed during his days at Lexington he understands what it means to be a role player. Don’t underestimate that trait when it comes to establishing a cohesive roster/bench.

Tomas Satoransky (50) – The Wizards are not exactly in a“draft-and-stash” position, but with Beal or Barnes at three, the team’s top 11 are arguably in place. Though possibly a reach early in the second and not the only international option projected in the second, the 6-foot-7 Czech is an intriguing point guard prospect. Rather than having the athletic 20-year-old sit and watch, the Wizards could let Satoransky continue his craft learning ways overseas for another season.

Deep sleepers/summer League invites: Sticking with the need shooters theme, Georgetown’sHollis Thompson and Northwestern’s John Shurna drain 3-pointers with layup line ease. Neither player is currently in the DraftExpress mock, though their long-range accuracy is NBA-worthy.

Everybody else: Looking at those whose summer plans to date have not included a D.C. visit

Festus Ezeli (27) – We all know you don’t turn down promising 6-foot-11 centers and that goes double in round two. Should the Vanderbilt shot blocker slip out of the first round, the Wizards could have their next big man project to mold.

John Jenkins (33) – Another Vanderbilt product, this one offers the type of long-range artistry the Wizards seek. The 6-foot-4 Jenkins averaged 19.9 points and sank 44 percent of his 3-point attempts during his junior season.

Tony Wroten/Quincy Miller (30/31) – Lumping the freshman forward with the freshman guard together because if both physically gifted players stayed in school past their freshman season, they may have been lottery picks. Instead teams are forced to determine whether the 6-foot-6 Wroten’s attacking style fits a specific role or if the 6-foot-10 Miller’s explosiveness is legit or fool’s gold. In the second, that’s a risk worth taking, especially the 19-year combo guard out of Washington.

Deep sleepers/summer league invites: Xavier point guard Tu Hollowayis an experienced and proven winner with a knack for making big plays at the biggest moments. For more sizzle and scoring, Long Beach State's 5-foot-10 sparkplug Casper Ware.

And the winner is…Again, assuming Beal in the first, taking a point guard in the second looks like the proper positional call. No knock on Mack, but with John Wall also learning the floor general ropes, having a true quarterback behind him would be nice. Taylor arguably makes the most sense if available in the second and offers a true change of pace from Wall. Machado, not so much, but he remains Plan B for a reserve point guard. If no Beal at three, then Jenkins followed by Kentucky’s Lamb moves to this list’s top. If it’s all about the upside, Wroten.